How to Ease a Dog's Fear of Fireworks

Scared dog

While humans enjoy the Fourth of July celebration with fireworks, your dog may not be so thrilled by the sights and sounds. Dogs may react to the loud noise and flashes by whimpering, trembling, panting, extreme neediness and sometimes even running into glass doors in an effort to escape. Here's how to ease your pet's fear of fireworks and keep him calm so that you can both have an enjoyable Independence Day.

Things You'll Need

• Patience
• Chew toys
• Dog toys
• Soothing music
• Pet ID tags or microchip
• Natural sedatives (in extreme cases)

Instructions

1. Keep your pet indoors on the Fourth of July. Do not take your dog with you outside during a fireworks display or into the yard or driveway when firecrackers of any sort are being used. If you need to take him outside, plan to do so before sundown, when it's less likely that fireworks are being used. The best place for your dog is to be indoors at home.

2. Close the doors and windows to your home so that your dog will not hear the fireworks.

3. Close the drapes or blinds in your home to block the flashes of light produced by the fireworks.

4. Put on soothing music, such as a nature sounds CD, or soothing music such as a classical music CD or radio station, to distract your dog. This will also help to muffle any sounds of fireworks he might hear and to put him at ease.

5. Play with your dog. Distract him with a favorite game that he enjoys playing, such as with a favorite ball or toy, or introduce a new toy or chew toy to him or her to divert his attention and keep him occupied. Give him some extra attention to ease his fears.

6. If your pet has noise phobias throughout the year, or his phobia of fireworks is extreme, speak to your veterinarian. Ask for advice on how you can ease your dog's fears and inquire about possible natural sedative that you can give him to help him relax and feel comfortable.

Tips & Warnings

• In extreme cases, some dogs are so scared by fireworks that they may run through glass windows or doors in an effort to escape, or may get outside past the yard and risk being hit by a car. Make sure your dog wears ID tags and consider installing a microchip device at the veterinarian's office.